Flexible sealing-joint for fruit-jars



(No Model.) G. B. HOWELL.

FLEXIBLE SEALING JOINT FOR FRUIT JARS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.eEoRGE B. HOWELL,'- OF. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLEXIBLE SEALING-JOINT FOR FRUIT-JARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,223,datedNovember"21, 1893.

Application filed March 8, 1893. Serial No. 465,076. (No model.) I:

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing atPhilade1phia,in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements inFlexi-' ble Sealing-Joints for Fruit-Jars, Bottle'Stoppers, &c.; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to joints for connecting the caps of fruit jars,bottle stoppers and other tubular structures.

One object is to provide a joint which shall i be tight,but not rigid,so that when applied to glass, earthenware, or other breakablestructures, the connections may yield sufficiently to prevent breakageand at the same time secure a perfectly air and water tight joint.

Another object is'to dispense with the use of fastening devices forsecuring the parts which form the joint, so asto prevent disconnectionthereof in use, and to provide a self-securing or self-locking joint.

The invention will first be described in connection with theaccompanying drawings and then pointed out in the claims at the end ofthis description.

Referring to thedrawings by letters of reference, Figure 1 represents avertical sectional elevation of a fruit jar top with attached sealingring and detached cap. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the cap and ringin position upon the top of the jar or bottle neck and forming a sealedjoint. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation illustrating amodification of the improvement showing the same adapted for connectin gtubular sections of piping. Figs. tand 5 are side oredge views of theelastic packing ring detached, showing the same expanded in Fig. 4, andcontracted in Fig. 5, as it appears under compression when affixed tothe tubular bottle neck or similar connection; and Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view of a further modification.

Similar letters of reference are used to denote similar parts in each ofthe several views.

A, may denote a fruit jar top or the neck of a bottle or other tubularfixture having a terminal exterior circumferential flange a.

B, denotes an elastic packing ring of soft pliable resilient materialsuch as rubber, c'ork or the like, and which isadapted to fit over themouth of the jar or the end of the, tubular connection so as to protectthe latter from contact with the metal cap or coupling piece, when thelatter is pressed down over the same as shown in Fig. 2.

The ring 0, preferably consists of molded rubber and is formed with aninterior circular projection or flange b, and a depending outwardlybeveled main portion 1), for engagement with the circular dependingflange c, of the cap or coupling piece so that when the latter is placedover the ring and top of the bottle neck and pressed downward thereonthe enlargedportionbflof the ring will be pressed inwardly andexpandedagainst the sides of the tubular fixture or bottle neck, as indicated inFig. 2, thereby compressing the ring about the circumferential flange a,so as to firmly connect the parts and form a sealed joint. By thusexpanding the ring against the exterior of the tubular. fixture so as tooverlie and embrace the flange o, the parts are firmly secured inposition without other fastening means, the ring thusfulfilling thedouble purpose of sealingthe joint or mouth of the bottle neck and alsoholding the parts in the desired position, without the necessity ofusing other fastening devices such as are ordinarily employed in devicesof this character. v

In Fig. 3 is shown a cap or coupling piece 0, which is formed with ascrew-threaded cylindrical projection orflange c, for attachment to acorresponding tubular connection, when the joint is to be applied inconnecting piping or other tubular structures. In this instance the partA, may represent a hollow projection or socket forming a part of anearthen or metallic fixture to which a pipe is to be attached by thenipple or coupling piece 0. The connection in this instance is preciselythe same as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, except thatinstead of a closed cap or cover 0, the part 0' is provided with acentral circular opening and a surrounding screw-threaded flange orprojection for the attachment of an adjacent tubular section.

I desire it to be understood that although my invention is designedparticularly for effecting a yielding or flexible connection betweentubular fixtures of glass or earthenware and a metallic cap or couplingsection so as to provide a tight but yielding joint which will preventbreakage which frequentl y results in practice by the use of a rigidoint, yet I do not desire to be limited in the application of theinvention to earthen or glass fixtures as it is obvious that theimprovement may be applied to effect a connect on in which all the partsare composed ent1re1y of metal, save the interposed elastic packingring.

In Fig. 6, which illustrates in full and dotted llnes respectively, theclosed cap or cover and open coupling piece with screw-threaded proection, the depending peripheral flange is provided with an interiorannular shoulder or projection 0 which, when the parts are connected,will pass underneath the inclined or beveled edge I), of the ring asshown, and form a lock joint, by which the parts are permanentlyconnected. 'This feature is particularly desirable in connecting fixedsectlons of piping or other tubular structures wherein a detachablejoint is not desired- I To avoid confusion in the use of terms andalternative expressions in the appended claims it may be stated that theterm cap as employed in the claims with reference to the tubular fixtureto which it is adapted to be applied, is intended to designate eitherthe closed fruit jar cover or the coupling piece with circular openingand screw threaded proectlon, while the term fixture may apply to eitherthe fruit jar, bottle mouth, fruit can or other tubular partto which thecap or coupling piece is to be attached, the function of these partsbeing the same when applied to either use.

In sealing fruit jars or cans it may be desirable to dispense with thelock-joint connection shown in Fig. 6, and to provide an ordinarystopper fastener as an additional security when the device is usedwithout said locking shoulder.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A closure for fruit jars &c., comprising an expansible ring arrangedover the mouth of the jar and provided with an enlarged dependingoutwardly beveled or inclined portion overhanging an exterior annularlip or flange on the jar mouth and a cap or cover fitting over said ringand compressing said enlarged portion about said annular lip so as toseal the joint and secure the several parts together without otherfastening means, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the tubular fixture having the exterior annularflange or lip, the angular elastic ring fitting thereon and having theportion thereof overhanging said lip enlarged and beveled or inclinedoutwardly from the fixture, and the detachable cap fitting over saidring and compressing the expanded portion thereof about said annular lipso as to seal the joint between the parts and securely connect the samewithout other fastening means, substantially as described.

3. In a closure for fruit jars, &c., the combination with the jar havingthe annular exteriorlip or flange encircling the mouth thereof, of theangular elastic ring formed with an enlarged expansible depending rimoverhanging and embracing said lip and a cap adapted to fit over saidring and compress the rim thereof against the neck of the jar so as tofirmly connect the parts and seal the .joint between the same,substantially as described.

4. In a closure for fruit jars, &c., the combination with the tubularfixture having the exterior annular lip encircling the mouth thereof, ofthe angular elastic ring having an enlarged depending expansible rimfitting over and embracing said lip and the detachable cap fitting overand embracing said ring and adapted to compress and lock the same tosaid lip, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the tubular fixture having the exterior annularlip or terminal flange, the elastic ring having the right a11- gledoutwardly beveled and enlarged compressible portion overhanging andembracing said lip, and the cap having the interior annular shoulderadapted to abut against the depending edge of said rim and lock theparts together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. B. HOWELL.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. RIORDAN, S. G. HOPKINS.

